On February 5, the National Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees and the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts announced the decision to transition the 2021 NCF-Envirothon annual competition to a completely virtual format due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Pennsylvania Envirothon announced plans last September to hold a virtual state competition that will include station testing and an oral presentation component.  Read more here.

"This decision was made after much deliberation but was determined to be the best option to protect the health and safety of the general public and to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” NCF Chair Steve Robinson said. “The top priority for the organizers is the health and safety of students, advisors, volunteers, sponsors and education partners."

NARD will still host the 2021 NCF-Envirothon competition, to be held over several days beginning Monday, July 26. Nebraska’s ecology, natural resources and the current environmental topic of “Water Resources Management: Local Control and Local Solutions,” are still the main focal points of the 2021 competition.

The 2021 NCF-Envirothon will be an innovative competition, with the same quality of training, testing and commitment to providing students with the knowledge and skills to change the world.

“While going virtual will be an adjustment, our dedication to environmental education and protecting lives, property and the future through natural resources management remains strong," said NARD President Jim Eschliman. "We look forward to virtually welcoming NCF-Envirothon competitors to Nebraska this year.”

Organizers are working diligently to develop the virtual competition plan of action and will release more information as it becomes available. NCF and NARD are committed to providing teams with the best experience possible in a virtual format.

“We know that many students look forward to attending this competition each year, and we are truly sorry that we can’t be on the ground together in Nebraska,” Robinson said. “However, we are still committed to ensuring a quality event that may look different, but will have the same spirit of challenging these students to become the next generation of conservation leaders.”

To learn more, visit the NCF-Envirothon website.

Envirothon History

The first Envirothon competition was created in 1979 by the Fulton, Luzerne and Schuylkill conservation districts and by 1984 the program expanded to a statewide competition and then nationally and internationally.

Now more than 15,000 high school students across the state compete in 67 county Envirothons.

Pennsylvania has won the International Envirothon competition in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2017 and frequently places in the top 10 and top three finishers.

PA Alumni Stories

PA Envirothon invites alumni to submit your story about where you are now and how the PA Envirothon positively affected your life and career path. Click Here to contribute your story.

More Info

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Envirothon website.  Click Here to sign up for email updates.  Questions should be directed to Lorelle Steach, Executive Director, PA Envirothon, by calling 814-310-3271 or send email to: lsteach@envirothonpa.org. 

Related Articles - Envirothon:

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[Posted: February 6, 2021]

2/8/2021